State Dep’t says it is ‘not consistent’ on human rights violations involving Israel and neighbors

The press briefing at State Department on Tuesday, a dialogue between spokesperson Victoria Nuland and AP reporter Matt Lee. Thanks to Idrees Ahmad.

VICTORIA NULAND, spokesperson for State Department:

Listen, before we leave Syria, I just want to take the opportunity, if you didn’t see it, to draw your attention to the Human Rights Watch report that was released today that identifies some 27 detention centers that Human Rights Watch says Syrian Government intelligence agencies have been using since the Assad crackdown on pro-democracy protestors. The report found that tens of thousands of Syrians are in detention by regime security and intelligence agencies and that the regime is carrying out inexplicable, horrific acts of torture, including – well, I’m not going to repeat them here, but I’ll leave it to you to read the report. And in many cases, the Human Rights Watch asserts that even children have been subject to torture by the Assad regime.

MATT LEE: Do you see that report as credible and solid, and you’re putting – you’re endorsing it? I mean, you’re saying –

MS. NULAND: We have no reason to believe that it is not credible. It’s based on eyewitness accounts, and they’re reporting from a broad cross-section of human rights figures inside Syria.

QUESTION: So the next time Human Rights Watch comes out with a report that’s critical of Israel for its treatment of the Palestinians, I’ll assume that you’re going to be saying the same thing, correct; that you think that the report is credible, it’s based on eyewitness accounts?

MS. NULAND: As –

QUESTION: And you’re not going to say that it’s politically motivated and should be dismissed?

MS. NULAND: Matt, as you have made clear again and again in this room, we are not always consistent.

Goyal.

QUESTION: So, in other words, anything that Human Rights Watch says that is critical of someone you don’t like, that’s okay; but once they criticize someone that you do like, then it’s not worth the paper it’s printed on?

As I was reading this I wondered how anyone could be such a soulless spokesmouth for state power and look at themselves in the mirror everyday, but seeing that she’s married to R. Kagan puts things into perspective.

According to her State Dept. biography, Victoria Nuland “was Principal Deputy National Security Advisor to Vice President Cheney from July 2003 until May 2005 where she worked on the full range of global issues, including the promotion of democracy and security in Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Lebanon, and the broader Middle East. “

It’s been a long time since I looked at my passport, but yeah on page 1:

“The Secretary of State of the United States of America hereby requests all whom it may concern to permit the citizen/national of the United States named herein without delay or hindrance and in case of need give all lawful aid and protection.”

Oh yeah
“QUESTION: So the next time Human Rights Watch comes out with a report that’s critical of Israel for its treatment of the Palestinians, I’ll assume that you’re going to be saying the same thing, correct; that you think that the report is credible, it’s based on eyewitness accounts?

MS. NULAND: As —

QUESTION: And you’re not going to say that it’s politically motivated and should be dismissed?

MS. NULAND: Matt, as you have made clear again and again in this room, we are not always consistent.”

“not always consistent” Not ever. How absurd Secretary of State Clinton lecturing Assad about killing. A murderer lecturing a murderer about murder.

But her only child’s Jewish in-laws think Hillary is great! Especially the ex-criminal father-in-law. Bill and Hillary, they are wonderful examples of the American Dream come true. And their daughter leads the way for all future Americans who want to attain it! BTW, isn’t Hillary a Presby? Were is she on the recent Presby vote re BDS?

How many international reporters are based in Israel? How many international reporters are based in Syria? How many international reporters are based in Gaza? How free are the reporters, in each respective location, to go about and do their jobs?
It is clear that there is far too much focus on Israel, based also on the abuse of the freedoms they enjoy in Israel fed by their historic stereotypical views of Jews . Now not all are antisemitic. Far too many are and on slow days their imaginations often run wild. Democracies, like Israel, allow these journalist to run amuck and over report.

For those of you who don’t know, around 80% of the foreign journalists in the region are based in Israel.

What are you talking about, zio? The question is the State Department of the USA’s inconsistent treatment of evil regimes. When it is an evil regime like Syria, the USA loves human rights and Human RIghts Watch. When it is an evil regime like the zionist entity, they hate it. Why? Because the US State Department is a bought-and-paid-for, traitorous organization who sold out the US for 30 pieces of silver going to some politicians.

It is clear that there is far too much focus on Israel, based also on the abuse of the freedoms they enjoy in Israel fed by their historic stereotypical views of Jews .

During the Apartheid era, there was “far too much focus” on South Africa, when other countries had much worse human-rights records. Black people could travel abroad (unlike in China); black women could drive (unlike in Saudi Arabia). Do you believe that excessive focus reflected the media’s prejucie against Afrikaners?

But that aside, your comment does not address the issue: the Department of State has one standard for eyewitnesses in Syiria (whom it always believes) and for those in the West Bank (whom it always dismisses).

The special standard for Syria is quite far reaching. Essentially the same people and activities are in some places deserve (a) recruiting a Communist regime from a nearby country to fight them, plus the drones — in Somalia, (b) supporting the local regime, including the drones — in Yemen, (c) direct engagement of our forces — in Afghanistan, (d) no comments — in Iraq, (e) baffled consternation — what to do in the middle of Sahara, in Mali and finally (f) warm support — in Syria.

“inexplicable, horrific acts of torture” — how they compare with American tortures, say in Bagram base? Perhaps Syrians also apply them only when they are convinced that they interrogate terrorist and only when they are duly authorized by the President with the benefit of some legal analysis? Who knows, perhaps they are using the legal analysis of John Yoo?

“far too much focus on Israel” give me a break. This is just not happening. Ever hear MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews, Ed, Lawrence O’ Donnell, certainly not Martin Bashir. Dylan Ratigan would go there..but now he is gone. The Diane Rehm show has seriously reduced their coverage of this critical issue. Barely a whisper on that program

Those of us who think that Zionism is a major moral mistake which has overwhelmingly powerful support in the Western world, and therefore deserves to be challenged in the best words we can find wherever a reasonable challenge will be heard, have that focus certainly. I wish more people were not distracted and misled.

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